1. Problem Solving & Decision Making
Root Cause, Risk Assessment, and Analyzing facts By
Daylene Meuschke & Jim Temple

2. Problem Solving
Problem Solving= The process of working through details of a problem to reach a solution.

3. “Ice Breaker”

4. Decisions and Decision Making
Decision = choice made from available alternatives
Decision Making = process of examining your options, comparing them, and choosing a course of action.

5. Problem Solving
“The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.”
John Foster Dulles, Former US Secretary of State

6. Problem Solving
Three things typically happen when a problem arises. People either:
Get afraid or uncomfortable and wish it would go away
Feel like they have to come up with an answer and it has to be the right one
Look for someone to blame
What we should do when a problem arises is:
Don’t react to problems – respond to them (Common sense judgements, problem solving oriented)
Fix problems vs talk about them.
Act without being told – show initiative – A Leader must be able to decide!
What we should Understand when faced with a problem is:
They happen all the time
They are usually opportunities to improve on something or some process

7. Problem Solving Problem Solution
Problems are not all the same. Some are simple while others can be complex.
If you treat Complex Problems as Simple Problems, you can get caught in an loop where each solution creates a new problem.
Example: Your Shoes are Untied.
What is the Problem; What is the Solution?
Example: IT Help Desk staff is overwhelmed by calls and cant keep up.
Problem
Solution

8. Problem Solving
Identify the Problem
Define the Problem
Understand the Problem
Identify the Root Cause
Corrective Action
Monitor
Note that even though Problem solving is a continuous process, solving the problem and monitoring the solution is the end of each cycle.

9. Define the Problem What is the problem? Where is it happening?
How is it happening?
When is it happening?
Why is it happening?
Who is affected or interested in solving it?
Identify the Problem
Define the Problem
Understand the Problem
Identify the Root Cause
Corrective Action
Monitor

10. Example: Building Projects

11. Understand the Problem
Detailed Analysis
Through Data Collection determine what is going on
Personal interviews or conversations
First hand inspection
Testing
Identify the Problem
Define the Problem
Understand the Problem
Identify the Root Cause
Corrective Action
Monitor

12. Identify the Root Cause
A Root Cause Analysis is an in-depth process or technique for identifying the most basic factors underlying a variation in performance (problem)
The Root Cause may not be your initial response.
Initial response is usually a symptom but not the root cause of the issue
Tools for Determining Root Cause include:
The “5 Whys”
Pareto Analysis
Brainstorming
Process Mapping
Cause and Effect Diagram
Tree Diagram
Identify the Problem
Define the Problem
Understand the Problem
Identify the Root Cause
Corrective Action
Monitor

13. 5 “Why” Root Cause Analysis
5 “Why” Root Cause Analysis Process
Used when problems involve human interaction or with day-to-day business problems.
Simply, yet systematically reduces the possible theories and causes using facts.
Example: A local pizza place has the best pizza in town but receives a large number of customer complaints about their pizza being delivered after the promised time. Our drivers must not care about their job!
What is the Problem?
Use the 5 “Whys” to determine the Root Cause
Analyze phase of the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology.

14. 5 “Why” Root Cause Analysis
Problem:
Pizza Delivered after it was Promised
Why is the Pizza Always Late?
Bad Delivery Drivers
Why are they Bad Delivery Drivers?
The always arrive late
Why do they Always Arrive Late?
They always get lost
Why do they Always Get Lost?
They don’t have directions to the houses
Why don’t they have Directions to the Houses?
We don’t provide Directions
Root Cause:
Original Assumption: Drivers don’t care about their job.
Actual Problem: We don’t prepare drivers to succeed by providing them with directions to the houses

15. Corrective Action i.e. Decision Making
Intuitive or Reasoned (Rationale) Decision Making Processes
Intuition – Going with your gut feeling (Past Exp, personal values. Reflects what you have learned through your life)
Reasoning – Using Facts and Figures
Both – When decision is complicated. Gather the facts, come to a decision and let your intuition take over to see if you feel that decision is correct
Implement your Decision
Identify the Problem
Define the Problem
Understand the Problem
Identify the Root Cause
Corrective Action
Monitor

16. Exercise: Problem Solving
Problem – Parking on the Valencia Campus
Parking Structure to be Built
Lot 7, 700 Parking Spaces lost January 2018 through December 2018
How do we mitigate the lack of parking while still reaching our FTES Goal?

17. Are you More Rational or Intuitive?

18. Are you More Rational or Intuitive?

19. Monitor
Review and Evaluate the outcome of your solution (Refer back to Understanding the Problem).
Are you seeing what you expected from the solution?
Look at your data to see if there is a change
Solicit feedback from those involved or affected by the outcome
What did they learn from the results?
Determine if it can be standardized or used elsewhere in your organization (What can be done to avoid this in the future).
Monitor or check-in to see if your decision continues to produce the desired results.
Identify the Problem
Define the Problem
Understand the Problem
Identify the Root Cause
Corrective Action
Monitor

20. Decision Making

21. How to Make Better Decisions
Increase your Knowledge
Ask Questions
Get Experience
Do Research
Go with your Instincts! (Based on accumulated knowledge and experience)

22. Certainty, Risk, Uncertainty, Ambiguity
all the information the decision maker needs is fully available
Risk
decision has clear-cut goals
good information is available
future outcomes associated with each alternative are subject to chance
Uncertainty
managers know which goals they wish to achieve
information about alternatives and future events is incomplete
managers may have to come up with creative approaches to alternatives
Ambiguity
by far the most difficult decision situation
goals to be achieved or the problem to be solved is unclear
alternatives are difficult to define
information about outcomes is unavailable

23. Possibility of Failure
Problem
Low
High
Possibility of Failure
Certainty
Risk
Uncertainty
Ambiguity

24. Five Point Model for Greater Decisiveness
Give careful consideration to all the facts and options. Seek out the advice of experienced people.
Pay attention to your heart, intuition, facts, and grit feelings. If something makes sense, but doesn’t feel right, beware.
Once you make a decision, don’t second guess yourself. You make too many important decisions in life to waste valuable time lamenting past choices.
Act with the knowledge that you’ll probably make more good choices than bad ones in a lifetime. Celebrate your decisions; learn from your mistakes.
Anticipate success, but don’t be afraid to fail. Ask: What will happen if I don’t act? What are the possibilities if I do act? And, if for some reason I don’t succeed, what’s the worst thing that could happen, and can I deal with the consequences?

25. Barriers to Effective Decision Making
Many decisions that managers deal with everyday involve at least some degree of uncertainty.
May be difficult to make
Made amid changing factors
May have to deal with conflicting points of view
Too Much or Not Enough Information
Too Many People Involved in the Process
Vested Interests
Emotional Attachment or No Emotional Attachment

26. Decision Making

27. Decision Making
“Stay committed in your decision; but stay flexible in your approach.”
- Tony Robbins

28. Problem Solving & Decision Making at COC

29. What drives decisions at COC?
Mission, Values and Beliefs
Vision
Strategic Plan
Daily Operational needs
Department/Division and College-Wide Plans
Emergent opportunities and situations

30. What is our context? Our own Decision Making Process
Our Organization and Committees
The Responsibilities of departments
Our Position in the Community
The Talent of our People

31. What else influences our Decisions?
Where we are located (Santa Clarita Valley)
State Policy
Accountability
Data and Trends
Accreditation processes
Opportunities and Threats
Our dreams and imagination!

32. COC Comprehensive Planning Process

33. Decision Making Guide

34. Decision Making Process
Define the Problem
Clarify your Objectives
Identify Alternatives
Analyze the Consequences
Make a Choice

35. Quesitons?